In general, research suggests that essential oils offer therapeutic potential in pain relief.
Basil
In one study, basil oil was found to produce painkilling effects on mice with chronic muscle pain. This finding led the researchers to suggest basil oil as a potential method of pain relief for those with fibromyalgia.
Capsicum
This essential oil is extracted from red chilies. It contains capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, which is well-documented as a pain reliever.
In one study, people with severe fibromyalgia applied topical capsaicin three times per day for 6 weeks. The treatment led to significant improvements in terms of pain relief and overall well-being.
It has also been suggested that concentrated capsaicin patches can reduce neuropathic pain for up to 12 weeks.
Cedarwood
Research from 2015 suggests that inhaling cedarwood essential oil alleviates post-surgery pain in mice by influencing the way the body experiences pain.
Clove
A review of research on clove essential oil suggests that it may be a possible method to relieve pain.
The researchers suggest that clove oil may be so effective because it contains eugenol in high concentrations (88.58 percent). Eugenol is commonly used as a local antiseptic and anesthetic.
Ginger and orange
A blend of both ginger and orange oil was tested on older adults with moderate-to-severe knee pain.
Those treated experienced an improvement in physical function and a reduction in pain, when compared with those that received a placebo, or no treatment at all. These benefits were still observable at the 1 week follow-up, but not at the 4 week review.
This study indicates an aromatherapy massage using these essential oils can effectively reduce pain in the short term. Be careful when using citrus oils if going out in the sun, as some research has suggested that they may cause sunburn.